phishing: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2neutral-to-formal
Quick answer
What does “phishing” mean?
The fraudulent practice of sending electronic communications, typically emails, that appear to be from reputable sources in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords or credit card numbers.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The fraudulent practice of sending electronic communications, typically emails, that appear to be from reputable sources in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords or credit card numbers.
Any attempt to acquire sensitive information by masquerading as a trustworthy entity via electronic communication, often as part of a broader social engineering attack. Can extend beyond email to text messages (smishing), voice calls (vishing), or fake websites.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or spelling. Pronunciation of the 'i' vowel may follow regional patterns.
Connotations
Equally negative in both varieties. Associated with cybercrime and digital security threats.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties due to the global nature of cybercrime discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “phishing” in a Sentence
[Verb] + phishing: carry out/conduct/engage in phishing[Adjective] + phishing: spear/whale/smishing (types of phishing)[Preposition] + phishing: a victim of phishing, beware of phishingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “phishing” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Criminals often phish for bank details.
- Several customers were phished last week.
- They are phishing for login credentials.
American English
- Hackers tried to phish our employees.
- He got phished by a fake invoice.
- That site is set up to phish users.
adverb
British English
- This email is designed phishingly well.
- The site was phishingly authentic in appearance.
American English
- The message was phishingly deceptive.
- It was a phishingly clever attack.
adjective
British English
- The phishing attempt was very convincing.
- We have new phishing detection software.
- She clicked on a phishing link.
American English
- We ran a phishing simulation test.
- He reported a phishing email to IT.
- The phishing campaign targeted seniors.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Critical in corporate security training. E.g., 'All employees must complete annual phishing awareness modules.'
Academic
Used in computer science, criminology, and sociology papers on cybercrime.
Everyday
Common in news reports and personal digital safety advice. E.g., 'I got a suspicious email that looked like phishing.'
Technical
Precise term in cybersecurity, with subcategories like spear phishing, clone phishing, and whaling.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “phishing”
- Misspelling as 'fishing' (the cyber term is always with 'ph').
- Using it as a countable noun for a single email (*'I received a phishing') – correct: 'I received a phishing email' or 'a phishing attempt'.
- Confusing verb forms: 'phish' (verb), 'phished' (past), 'phishing' (gerund/noun).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The 'ph' spelling is a nod to early hackers known as 'phreaks' (phone phreaks) and creates a homophone with 'fishing', which metaphorically describes the activity of 'fishing' for information.
No, while email is the most common vector, phishing can also occur via text messages (smishing), phone calls (vishing), social media messages, or even fraudulent websites (pharming).
Spam is unsolicited bulk email, often advertising. Phishing is a targeted fraudulent attempt to steal data. All phishing is malicious, but not all spam is phishing.
Yes, the verb is 'to phish' (e.g., 'They tried to phish me'). The past tense is 'phished', and the present participle/gerund is 'phishing'.
The fraudulent practice of sending electronic communications, typically emails, that appear to be from reputable sources in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords or credit card numbers.
Phishing is usually neutral-to-formal in register.
Phishing: in British English it is pronounced /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “phishing for information (a play on 'fishing for')”
- “don't take the bait (in phishing warnings)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'fishing' with a 'ph' – criminals are 'fishing' for your personal data, using fake emails as 'bait' and hoping you 'take the hook'.
Conceptual Metaphor
CYBERCRIME IS FISHING (the criminal is a fisherman, the victim is a fish, the deceptive communication is bait, personal data is the catch).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary goal of a phishing attack?